







In English we use the present simple tense to talk about facts or things that are always true, as well as things in general. Present simple is also used to talk about a repeated action such as a habit, a hobby, a daily event, a scheduled event or something that often happens.
In English we use 'do' and 'does' as auxiliary verbs in negatives and questions and we often use the present simple with adverbs of frequency such as sometimes, always, often, never, usually, rarely, and hardly ever.
Notes for use of present simple :
In the third person, ‘s’ is added to the verb form. For example;
work --> works
run --> runs
live --> lives
For verbs that end in 'o', 'sh', 'ch', 's' and 'x', we add 'es' to the verb form. For example;
go --> goes
wish --> wishes
watch --> watches
kiss --> kisses
fax --> faxes
For verbs that end in a consonant + 'y', we change the 'y' to 'i' and add 'es'. For example;
try --> tries
study --> studies
The table below shows the different forms of present simple :
Example Verb : Work | I / You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | ... work. | ... works. |
| Negative | ... don't work. | ... doesn't work. |
Questions | Do ... work? | Does ... work? |
| Short answers | Yes, ... do. / No, ... don't. | Yes, ... does. / No, ... doesn't. |
For the verb 'to be' we use 'am', 'is', 'are' in the present simple. No auxiliary verbs are used in negative sentences and questions.
Verb: Be | I | You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | I'm ... | ... 're ... | ... 's ... |
| Negative | I'm not ... | ... aren't ... | ... isn't ... |
| Questions | Am I ... ? | Are ... ...? | Is ... ...? |
| Short answers | Yes, I am. / No, I'm not. | Yes, ... are. / No, ... aren't. | Yes, ... is. / No, ... isn't. |
Present Simple Example Sentences :
Positive Examples of Present Simple :
Negative Examples of Present Simple :
Question Examples of Present Simple :
| Present simple example sentences | |
|---|---|
| I don't know, maybe it helps a bit! | |
| I go out sometimes with the girls from school. | |
| I think 4000 quid is big enough. | |
| I don't have time to cook everyday. | |
| Oh god, it's the second thing I hate doing in the kitchen! | |
| Sorry, is it possible to see it this Saturday after 2 o'clock? | |
| That's right, I think pressure cookers are quite dangerous, too! | |
| Taking Bear out usually takes me an hour. | |
| Do we have any paper towels? | |
| When you stop believing we can get a house in Mayfair for 2,400! | |
| That's okay, I don't mind. | |
| Can I get you some more drinks? | |
| Yeah, I guess spring is the worst time for allergies! | |
| You don't know the story behind it. | |
| Hello, is that Cate? | |
| And Pogo gets very scared of the crowd and the noise. | |
| Well, maybe we can get a 2 bedroom flat. What do you think? | |
| Nope, it gives me a headache! | |
| Is it the one with the blue tongue? | |
| Isn't that funny? | |